RVA Burger Crawl – Part 1

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We have so many clients come to Helping Hands Affordable Veterinary Surgery and Dental Care from outside of Richmond, and they keep asking about dining options.

Increasingly, we are getting asked about burgers. Where should visitors go?

We are on a mission to find the best burgers in Richmond and will blog about our adventures.

The Ground Rules – We are going to order one burger at each place and split it amongst the four of us, with the goal being four stops on any one Burger Crawl. The burgers will be the same (if possible) at each location – a bacon cheeseburger ordered medium rare.

We will also order fries and a drink at each restaurant. Also we intend to sample the craft beer selection, given that RVA has become a craft beer destination.

We will also tally up the cost of the meal (excluding tax).

If you want to see more great burger places in Richmond, VA you can check out part 2 of our burger crawl!

Boulevard Burger and Brew (Lunch, Dinner, Pet-friendly)

This has a great location right on the Boulevard, across from the Bow-Tie Cinemas. Another bonus is the pet friendly patio, which is perfect for our clients. The atmosphere is friendly and bright with windows across 3 sides of the restaurant. They also have a wide variety of specialty burgers, which we would like to try on another visit.

The burger from Boulevard Burger and Brew was perfectly cooked medium rare and one of the best burgers we had on our crawl. The bun was very buttery, and the patty was 6oz of non-GMO sourced beef. We opted for pepper jack cheese on our burger. The fries were a large portion and had a crunchy crust to them. While they were not fresh cut fries, they do have several other menu options such as the loaded fries with pimento (Yum!), scallions, pickled jalapeños, and bacon.

The draft selection was quite extensive, and we decided on the Green Flash Passionfruit Kicker Pale Wheat Ale from Virginia Beach, VA. Nice light start to a night of burger tasting. The draft selection leans more towards the lighter brews (

Overall we had a great experience at Boulevard Burger and Brew. The dinner was reasonable at $14.30 ($8.35 burger, $2.95 fries, and $3.00 beer). Service was extremely friendly and the restaurant was very busy for 5:30pm on a Tuesday evening. Again, this is a great place to take your pet for a lunch or dinner with ample outdoor seating.

Supper (Lunch, Dinner)

Supper has always been one of our favorites, as we have convened informal staff meetings often at the large table just to the left when you walk in.

We decided to order the Lucky #7 for our burger at Supper. It was 10 ounces of really thick burger with a smoky flavor and delicious bacon. The buttery bun was great and the burger was cooked perfectly.

The only downside to this burger was just the enormous size, as we doubted if we could finish the burger if one of us ordered it. If we could have relaxed the rules, we would have ordered the “Scott’s Addition” – on top of the 10oz of meat is pulled pork BBQ, brussel slaw, and BBQ sauce!

The fries were ordered separately, and were like the shoestring style of fries from our childhood.

For our drink, we ordered the Potter’s Dry-Hopped Cider which came in a huge portion in a beautiful monogramed glass. The draft menu was limited to handful of options.

Supper is perfect for the person that is really hungry and wants great food and large portions. One can’t leave Supper without being tempted by one of their dessert specials, including Krispy Kreme or Oreo Bread Pudding!

Also, this is a place to order something other than burger, such as their delicious barbecue and daily specials. It is also just down the street from half a dozen breweries and cideries. Overall, this is a more expensive option, but you get what you pay for in portion size – $25.60 for dinner ($13.00 for burger, $3.00 for fries, $7.00 for cider).

The Betty on Davis (Dinner)

Hands down, this is one of the friendliest restaurants we have ever visited. Big shout out to Luray, our bartender, for excellent service and hospitality. It was dark, cozy and eclectic with some excellent drinks and food.

The burger was very good, as it was two patties with cheese in the middle. The meat and other items are sourced from JM Scott Provisions, as there is a local theme throughout their menu. The pickles that came with the burger were house made and delicious. Even the tomato that came with the burger had great flavor and was seasoned perfectly.

The french fries were the best of the night, fresh cut and not greasy.

The draft menu was pretty short as this is a small restaurant, that is to be expected. The mixed drink selections were intriguing and we decided to get a pickle juice/vodka cocktail. It had an awesome flavor and was the best pickle drink that one of us have ever had.

Overall, this was the friendliest place to get a burger. They do a Sunday Brunch that is quite popular with Richmonders. They are also famous for their Z-man sandwich, a Kansas City inspired creation. If you visit, be sure to ask for the story behind the sandwich. Overall this was a good value with the bill being $20.00 with a mixed drink, or $16 with a beer ($10 burger & $10 pickle drink or $6 draft beer).

The Savory Grain (Lunch, Dinner, pet-friendly)

Probably the best value on Tuesday nights in Richmond is Savory Grain’s Tuesday $5 Burgers and Bourbon Night. The restaurant was packed. We have eaten there on many occasions and knew that we would not be disappointed.

The burger was juicy and delicious.  The patty is made with Angus chuck, brisket & short rib.  To top it off, literally, they place a slice of gouda cheese on the chargrilled patty.  The flavor was great and we will definitely be back to take part in burger night.

The fries were fresh cut and delicious, with a great presentation. They didn’t last long!

The drink selection was great, and we could not leave without having some bourbon. They have a selection of 5 bourbons you can choose from, and surprisingly the quality was quite good. They also have a good selection of local craft beer.

Overall the meal at the Savory Grain was excellent and they do have a patio where you can bring your pet (during nice weather). The meal was $14 with bourbon and $16 with beer ($5 burger, $4 fries & $5 bourbon or $7 beer).

We had a great time visiting these great restaurants. Next week we will visit some restaurants in the Jackson Ward area of Richmond!